Five years after starting its latest (and hopefully last) academic endeavor, the staff at the Chicago offices of Monchi’s Men will be graduating next month. As such, there are a few loose ends to tie up, and as a result of that, the time available for writing match previews is a little short right now. So if there were more time, this preview would touch on:
- Kanouté, our club’s legend, standard-bearer, and one of the last remnants of our recent glory years, sustaining an injury that will likely mean he never wears a Sevilla jersey again (other than the testimonial that I sincerely hope he plays). There’d be several long, moving paragraphs about the first time I saw Big Freddi play, his best goals, etc etc etc.
- Koné scoring his 13th league goal (15th in all competitions), leaving him just three goals shy of the total that will see him automatically come back to Sevilla as per the loan agreement with Levante. There would be intense hand-wringing about WHY CAN’T HE EVER SCORE WITH US?!? and probably some hypotheticals about what Sevilla would do if he gets there–sell him? Loan him? Keep him, but leave him on the bench? Keep him and play him so Baba never plays?
- And then there’d be a bit about why we’ll lose to Zaragoza today. But I’d probably eventually start talking about how really, this is a super winnable game and how the table is once again set for us since Atleti, Levante, Getafe and Espanyol lost, Bilbao drew, and we play the last fixture of the week so we’ll know exactly what’s at stake when we take the field. I’d probably also point out that a quarter of the league (seriously five teams) is currently tied with Sevilla at 42 points, so putting three points between us and them would be great. Finally: Zaragoza is one of the worst teams in the league this year, so PLEASE SEVILLA DON’T LET ME DOWN.
There. That’s the review you’d have. Imagine it. Savor it!!!
Vamos Mi Sevilla! I’ll be watching tonight via DVR so I will not be checking back today.
Oh yeah, and I’d also note that this is Jimenez’s first return visit to the Sanchez Pizjuan after his ill-fated time in control of the club.
Starting 11 is pretty similar to last game, but with Manu up front alongside Negredo, and Luna out wide on the left. Should help Manu to start where he’s most effective: on the forward line.
I however, will be here for some to all of the match. Vamos
And Villarreal just beat Malaga. Although CL is wishful thinking, a win would also put us within a point of Osasuna in 6th. This also means that Zaragoza will need to win to keep themselves within four points of Villarreal and safety, so extra possibility of embarassing and soul-crushing loss here…
Palop KO’d after 5 mins
Recovers (hopefully not too concussed)
FAZIOOOOOO heads in from a corner!!! 11′
oh man! yay!!!!
just sat down to catch a bit of this half–happy to see that scoreboard!
wow, just saw the scoreline from the villarreal game–that’s a massive comeback for the submarine and a costly collapse for puta malaga.
Navas gets a yellow (before Medel). Completely fair-he’s been asking for it the entire game and now he’ll miss the next match.
NEGREDOOOGOOOLLLL!!!!! Played through by Manu and slots home. 2-0 28′
Almost just gifted Zaragoza a goal. Manu gives the ball away to Apono who panics and shoots wide. Slightly terrible
It is super fun to watch our team win games. It’s an unfamiliar sensation, but wholly enjoyable.
NEGREDOOOOOO!!!! Roberto messes up and it spills in after a Navas cross. 3-0 44′
Wow negredo!!L fantastic goal from 0 angle.
Also him and Luna just before was pretty special
This! Luna looking very good on the left!
Haha the replay shows that it was more like a 90° angle. And Pretty poor work from the gk. but still!!!
HT 3-0. After missing our 3 pre-Bilbao wins I’ve got to admit that I’m really enjoying this-hoping for another of these: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report/_/id/226578?cc=5739
W have been fortunate on a couple occasions this half that we are not playing a better team…our poor passing out of the back continues, and would certainly have been punished by most teams that won’t be playing in la segunda next season.
Only other negative from this half (in addition to the previously mentioned poor passing out of the back) is that navas picked up his fifth yellow and won’t play in what will likely be a tough and very important game at getafe.
Roberto (RZ’s goalie) saves them twice in two minutes-first Navas then Manu (Manu probably should have scored)
It is astonishing how easily Sevilla is arriving at zaragoza’s area. We get the ball, we pass it twice and we are in the 18.
They do seem to be using the tactic of pressuring quite sparingly…
Yeah. Haha, it’s like they’ve decided that a vacuum of pressure will cause the ball to suck away from Sevilla.
Maybe Jimenez has been talking to too many physicists and stumbled upon the “negative pressure theory” of defending.
I mean Sevilla’s passing and forward movement is great, but let’s be clear: this Zaragoza team is TERRIBLE without the ball. Just awful. Also: not all that great with the ball.
Manu off for Baba 63′
Seriously Michel? Playing Baba?
P.S-Note to Sevilla Management: Sub off Trochowski now and put on Campana. Do it,
BABA. IS COMING. ON THE FIELD.
BEHOLD THE POWER OF THEO!!!!
Theo, didn’t you pretty much directly convince the team to change their formation a few years back? I think you did. Between your managerial interventions and our fate interventions, I feel like this blog needs to be on Sevilla’s payroll.
Del Nido’s probably been involved in enough dodgy payments already…
I kidding of course…we’d probably have to sell navas in order to add anyone to the payroll.
Campana on for Trocho 73′
What do you know? They really are fans of the blog…
And then Negredo gets kicked in the head.
Great movement there started with a fantastic pass from baba and ended with an unfortunate touch from navas that ultimately made him shoot from a bit wider than he would have liked.
Raki for Negredo 84′
Despite a few lapses, defense has been pretty good today. Coke and fazio in particular have been impressive.
And Medel has had what is for him a perfect game: I did not notice him all game.
And a whole 90 minutes without a yellow!
FT 3-0. Great 1st half, chilled out 2nd. Navas-good. Luna-good. Negredo-good. EL is a very real possibility now.
FT. comfortable, deserved, and valuable 3 points.
The result sees us take sole possession of 7th place, 1 point from Europa and 5 from CL, and gives us a +6 GD (4th best in la liga) to boot. Next two matches against getafe (3 points behind us) and levante (3 points ahead of us) will be difficult and crucial.
And then we play RM. Pretty big couple of weeks coming up.
On the plus side, RM will have had quite the stretch before playing us as well: at Bayern, at Barca, vs. Bayern in the two weeks before we visit.
YAY!
so who plays on the right next game in place of navas? how did baba look? those points are awesome… 7th is itself a europa spot if barca beat bilbao in the CdR. but im really looking forward to rooting for bilbao in that one, so lets just keep climbing the standings.
Will Reyes be back by then or do you move Coke up to the mid and start someone else at RB or try someone like Campana or Rak out wide?
I know this is not what is called a motivational statement however this season we have been a little inconsistent at times.
One more point and we have mathematically avoided relegation.
there were some moments this season when that wasnt looking so certain…
Nice to see our side dispatching an admittedly inferior club with a minimum of fuss.
AND nice to see you around here mike! We’ve missed you!
^Yep!
Suffice to say that my schedule hasn’t lent itself to watching too many matches live, but I still check in daily. Also, don’t want to mess with the pregame pessimism success Monchi’s Men is bringing to our side of late.
Recent developments today regarding the hour of the Sevilla-Levante match are about to bring #ligademierda to its lowest level yet. Stay tuned for the rage…